Try the World July 2015 “Japan” Review & Coupon Code

If you haven’t heard, Try the World is a subscription box that invites your taste buds to explore a new city every sixty days. Each box will include 7-10 locally made/grown gourmet goodies as well as cultural finds — such as music playlists and movie recommendations — produced in the city being featured. Subscriptions are $39 every 2 months, or less with multi-month commitments. New customers can save 30% off your first box with coupon code “ROSEBUDTRAVELS“!

Let’s see what’s in July’s “Japan” Try the World box!

Not sure why this photo is so grainy, but what can ya do… The box is a lot less grainy in person. 😉

The 2-sided info card listed all of the contents, as well as brief descriptions for each item.

Every box comes with a full-color “culture guide” that includes a little background on the featured region, as well as recipes, traditions, music playlists, etc. This one included an introduction to Japanese tea ceremonies (and how to host your own), a make-your-own okonomiyaki dinner date, and more.

Otafuku Foods Okonomiyaki Kit – Okonomiyaki is a popular dish in Japan which consists of an omelet-like pancake that you can customize with a variety of different toppings. This kit contains enough ingredients to make 2 “griddle cakes”. The instructions aren’t actually in English (despite what the package says) unless they’re inside the package, which is entirely possible. From what I can tell by the photos on the back label, the recipe requires cabbage, eggs, water, bacon, green onions, and some sort of sauce to finish it off.

Wadakan Umami Ponzu Sauce – Speaking of sauce… Here we have a big ol’ bottle of traditional ponzu sauce, a popular dressing for grilled meat and fish, or as a dip for sashimi (raw fish). It can also be used as a dressing when whisked with oil.

Ishiguro Yamaimo Soba Noodles – Soba are traditional noodles from northern Japan. These are made with yam extract and buckwheat, giving them a soft texture and nutty flavor. They’re typically served in a hot broth or as a cold salad tossed with ponzu sauce.

Morinaga Milk Caramels – I don’t know why, but I was surprised to see Japanese caramels. When I think of Japan, caramels are the last thing that come to mind, but apparently this recipe has been around since 1899 and were even featured in a few classic Japanese movies. Neat!

AOI Blueberry Matcha Tea – My husband loves matcha tea. It comes in powder form (ground up tea leaves) and is known as the finest green tea in the world. To make it, you need to whisk the powder into hot water until it’s all incorporated. We have a little bamboo whisk just for this purpose. 🙂

Kasugai Gummy Candies – More candy! These chewy gummy candies are made with real lychee juice. They’re gluten-free and I was hoping they’d be vegan as well, but sadly they do contain gelatin. Ah well.

Takaokaya Seaweed Snack – You can’t have a Japanese food box without seaweed! No really, I think it’s a law or something. I really wish I liked this stuff. Maybe I can get my kids to eat it? (Not holding my breath.)

Try the World continues to be a fun box for discovering regional foods and experiencing a taste of different cultures all from the comfort of your own home. While I can’t personally try many of the items from this particular box, I still appreciate the overall curation. As usual, I didn’t do a cost breakdown for each item, but I’d say the value is there. Especially since so many of the items are hard to find locally.

July 2015 Try the World Review

Summary

While I couldn't try many of the products for myself, I still thought this was a pretty solid box. My husband loves the tea and I'm sure I can find a more adventurous eater to take the other items off my hands. (Damn you, fish & gelatin!)